Career and Education Opportunities for Health Education Specialists in Cleveland, Ohio

For those living in the Cleveland, Ohio area, there are many career and education opportunities for health education specialists. There are currently 1,610 jobs for health education specialists in Ohio and this is projected to grow by 26% to 2,030 jobs by 2016. This is better than the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for health education specialists are expected to grow by about 18.1%. Health education specialists generally promote, maintain, and improve individual and community health by assisting individuals and communities to adopt healthy behaviors.

The income of a health education specialist is about $19 hourly or $41,200 annually on average in Ohio. In the U.S. as a whole, their income is about $21 per hour or $44,000 per year on average. Earnings for health education specialists are not quite as good as earnings in the general category of Counseling and Therapy in Ohio and better than general Counseling and Therapy category earnings nationally. Health education specialists work in a variety of jobs, including: child development specialist, family services consultant, and health promotion specialist.

There are 103 schools of higher education in the Cleveland area, including two within twenty-five miles of Cleveland where you can get a degree to start your career as a health education specialist. The most common level of education for health education specialists is a Bachelor's degree. You can expect to spend about four years studying to be a health education specialist if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Health Education Specialist

Health Education Specialist video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, health education specialists promote, maintain, and improve individual and community health by assisting individuals and communities to adopt healthy behaviors. They also collect and analyze data to identify community needs prior to planning, implementing, and evaluating programs designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, policies and environments.

Health education specialists document efforts and record data, such as the numbers of applications completed and persons assisted. They also design and present health education and promotion programs, such as training workshops and school or community presentations. Equally important, health education specialists have to design and maintain cooperative working relationships with agencies and organizations interested in public health care. Finally, health education specialists ready and distribute health education materials and visual aids such as films and posters.

Every day, health education specialists are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. It is also important that they listen to and understand others in meetings.

It is important for health education specialists to maintain databases and other data to enable the functioning of health education programs. They are often called upon to design operational plans and policies needed to attain health education objectives and services. They also collaborate with health specialists and civic groups to establish community health needs and the availability of services and to evolve goals for meeting needs. They are sometimes expected to design or direct health needs assessments and other public health surveys. Somewhat less frequently, health education specialists are also expected to design and direct grant applications and grant-related efforts to obtain funding for health education programs and related work.

They also have to be able to layout and conduct evaluations and diagnostic studies to gauge the quality and performance of health education programs and supervise professional and technical staff in implementing health programs and goals. And finally, they sometimes have to collaborate with health specialists and civic groups to establish community health needs and the availability of services and to evolve goals for meeting needs.

Like many other jobs, health education specialists must have exceptional integrity and believe in cooperation and coordination.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Cleveland include:

Career Advisor. Counsel individuals and provide group educational and vocational guidance services.

Marriage and Family Therapist. Diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems. Apply psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of professional services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of treating such diagnosed nervous and mental disorders.

Mental Health Counselor. Counsel with emphasis on prevention. Work with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental health. May help individuals deal with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; suicide; stress management; problems with self-esteem; and issues associated with aging and mental and emotional health.

Substance Abuse Specialist. Counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, or other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders. May counsel individuals, families, or groups or engage in prevention programs.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Health Education Specialist Training

Case Western Reserve University - Cleveland, OH

Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106. Case Western Reserve University is a medium sized university located in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 9,814 students and an admission rate of 73%. Case Western Reserve University has a master's degree program in Bioethics/Medical Ethics which graduated twenty-four students in 2008.

Cleveland State University - Cleveland, OH

Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-2214. Cleveland State University is a large university located in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 15,010 students and an admission rate of 74%. Cleveland State University has a master's degree program in Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling which graduated eleven students in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio photo by FlickreviewR

Cleveland is situated in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. It has a population of over 433,748, which has shrunk by 9.3% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Cleveland, 81, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Cleveland are valued at $94,100 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, one hundred nine new homes were built in Cleveland, down from one hundred eighty-four the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Cleveland are health care, accommodation and food services, and educational services. For men, it is metal and metal products, construction, and accommodation and food services. The average travel time to work is about 26 minutes. More than 11.4% of Cleveland residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 3.8%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Cleveland is 10.5%, which is greater than Ohio's average of 10.0%.

The percentage of Cleveland residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 57.8%, is more than both the national and state average. Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, Abyssinia Baptist Church and Highland Christian Church are among the churches located in Cleveland. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the United Methodist Church and the American Baptist Churches in the USA.

Cleveland is home to the Mastick Woods Golf Course and the Dock Number 32 as well as Shaker Square Historic District and Newton Avenue Historic District. Shopping malls in the area include Shaker-Moreland Shopping Center, Shaker Square Shopping Center and Clark West 30th Shopping Center. Visitors to Cleveland can choose from Hilton Garden Inn Cleveland Gateway, Airport Sheraton and Extended Stayamerica for temporary stays in the area.